Candles have been known and used for illumination since early civilization. For years, beeswax was has been in common usage as a natural wax for candles, cosmetics and sealing waxes for food preservation. A typical candle is formed of a solid or semi-solid body of combustible waxy material, such as paraffin wax or beeswax, and contains an combustible fibrous wick embedded within the waxy material. When the wick of a candle is lit, the generated heat melts the solid wax, and the resulting liquid flows up the wick by capillary action and is combusted. At present, although many advanced illuminating devices are available, candles are still popularly used for decoration or on a special situation as a holiday.
Over one hundred years ago, paraffin came into existence, parallel with the development of the petroleum refining industry. Paraffin was introduced as a bountiful and low cost alternative to beeswax which has become more and more costly and in more and more scarce supply. Paraffin is simply the leftover residue from refining gasoline and motor oils. Paraffin is presently the primary industrial wax for the following three uses: candles, cosmetics and sealing waxes.
Conventional candles are made from a wax material, such as paraffin. Such candles typically emit a smoke and can produce a bad smell when burning. Many people can not accept such smell. In addition, a small amount of particles (“particulates”) are often created when the candle burns. These particles may affect the health of a human when breathed in. Paraffin soot particles are similar to particles given off by burning diesel fuel, which include a number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that have been deemed toxic air contaminants.
In addition to these issues, paraffin wax is diminishing in supply as consumer demand increases. New petroleum technology does not produce by-product petro-waxes. This decrease in supply requires importation of petroleum waxes. This coincides with a huge ($2.5 billion) decorative candle market in the U.S. that is growing at about 15% per year.
There is a strong consumer need and demand for alternative natural waxes as an option to toxic paraffin waxes that can be produced at a rate that is cost competitive with toxic paraffin. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have other materials which can be used to form clean burning base materials for forming candles. If possible, such materials would preferably be biodegradable and be derived from renewable raw materials. The candle base materials should preferably have physical characteristics, e.g., in terms of melting point, hardness and/or malleability, that permit the material to be readily formed into candles having a pleasing appearance and/or feel to the touch, as well as having desirable olfactory properties.